Protests in 25 dists, JaPa offices vandalised in 6 places

The baton-charge on Gono Odhikar Parishad president and former DUCSU Vice-President Nurul Haque and his party leaders and activists by law enforcement in Kakrail area of Dhaka, sparked widespread outrage across the country.

In protest, demonstrations and road blockades were staged yesterday, Saturday, in at least 25 districts. Meanwhile, incidents of vandalism and arson at Jatiya Party (JaPa) offices were reported in Rajshahi, Khulna, Tangail, Mymensingh, Thakurgaon, and Gaibandha.

On Friday evening, clashes erupted between leaders and activists of the Jatiya Party and Gono Odhikar Parishad in capital’s Kakrail. Later, the army and police baton-charged the protesters, leaving several injured, including Nurul Haque. He, along with six others who sustained serious injuries, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Following protest programmes announced by Gono Odhikar Parishad activists, there were attacks and vandalism on Jatiya Party offices in six different locations between Friday midnight and Saturday afternoon.

In Rajshahi’s Ganakpara intersection, the district and city offices of JaPa were vandalised and set on fire around midnight on Friday.

Leaders and activists of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Gono Odhikar Parishad brought out a protest march from Saheb Bazar Zero Point before storming the office. Furniture, doors, and signboards were smashed, with the signboard later set ablaze on the street.

Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge (OC) of Boalia police station in the city, said they were investigating those involved.

In Khulna, activists of Gono Odhikar Parishad allegedly attacked JaPa’s district and city offices. Police, however, prevented them from going inside. The attackers smashed the signboard at the main gate, before being dispersed by police baton-charge at Dakbangla intersection around 5:00 pm on Saturday.

The protesters claimed that attacks by JaPa activists, police baton-charge, and ensuing clashes left 20–25 of their leaders and activists injured.

In Tangail, a protest procession organised by the district unit of Gono Odhikar Parishad marched to the district JaPa office near the Sadar police station around 11:00 am on Saturday.

They broke open the shutters and vandalised furniture inside before blocking the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge Highway at Nagor Jalpai intersection. The blockade lasted for about an hour before being withdrawn around 1:15 pm.

In Mymensingh’s Ishwarganj pourashava, a protest march was brought out around 9:00 pm on Friday. The procession started from in front of Ishwarganj Government College, circled the Ishwarganj Upazila Parishad, and then returned to its starting point. Then leaders and activists of the Gono Odhikar Parishad vandalised JaPa’s upazila office on Pranisampad (livestock) Hospital Road in the town.

In Thakurgaon, leaders and activists of Gono Odhikar Parishad vandalised the JaPa office in Haripur upazila around 1:00 pm on Saturday. The attack started from a protest procession. The attackers vandalised furniture inside the office and took them out to set on fire, which was later doused by the Fire Service.

In Gaibandha, protesters tried to march towards JaPa’s district office in Kathpatti area. Police blocked the road which resulted in scuffles. Protesters then sat on the road chanting slogans. Around 4:30 pm, they vandalised the signboard and broke open the shutters of the JaPa office.

From Friday night through Saturday afternoon, Gono Odhikar Parishad activists staged protest marches in at least 25 districts, with road blockades in several in protest of the baton-charge on their leaders and activists including Nurul Haque.

At Rajshahi University, students blocked the Dhaka–Rajshahi Highway near the main gate around 11:30 am on Saturday.

In Sirajganj, activists of the Gono Odhikar Parishad marched on the Jamuna Bridge starting from the Golchattar on western approach road to Syedabad through the North Bengal-bound lane.

In Nilphamari, a protest rally organised by the Gono Odhikar Parishad was held at Chourangi intersection which was later joined by the NCP activists.

In Barishal, a joint protest rally was organised by the district and city units of Gono Odhikar Parishad and the NCP in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall.

In addition, demonstrations and road blockades were also carried out in Narayanganj, Kushtia, Kishoreganj, Dhaka’s Keraniganj, Joypurhat, Satkhira, Chandpur, Panchagarh, Chuadanga, Gopalganj, Rajbari, and Bhanga in Faridpur, among other districts.